ESAI MORALES - MORALES FIGHTS SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGE

MORALES FIGHTS SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGE

LATEST: Actor ESAI MORALES has reassured fans sexual assault charges filed against him by an ex-girlfriend are "without merit" in a post on his MySpace profile. The former NYPD Blue star explains he has been advised not to comment on charges he gave a former live-in girlfriend herpes after assaulting her, but he admits he felt he owed fans an explanation. In a posting addressed, "To My Fans", Morales writes, "I need to assure you personally that the charges that have been leveled against me are absolutely false and without merit and I am prepared to vigorously defend myself and my reputation. "You know me. You've known me for nearly three decades. And you know in your hearts that these claims are baseless. This is not the way I live my life and I am incapable of committing these kinds of acts... I will not let a personal attack deter me from the bigger picture." In court papers filed last week (ends20Jul07), the actor's ex, Elizabeth Mazzocchi, claims Morales knew he had herpes but never told her about it, leaving her with "an incurable disease that will have associated medical expenses, pain and discomfort for the rest of her life."